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Global Ranking of the World’s Hardest-Working Nations: Nigeria Placed 86th as African Countries Dominate the Upper Tier
A new global ranking released by World of StatHistics has placed Nigeria among the world’s hardest-working countries, highlighting the intense work culture across many developing economies and especially in Africa. The ranking, which measures average weekly working hours, provides a revealing snapshot of how long people work across 167 countries worldwide.
Nigeria ranked 86th globally, with an average of 39.6 working hours per week, positioning the country ahead of several advanced economies, including the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and most European nations. While Nigeria did not make the top 50, the data underscores the reality of a workforce that remains highly active amid economic pressures, informal employment, and limited social safety nets.
The top of the ranking is dominated by countries in Africa and Asia, where economic necessity, limited automation, and labour-intensive sectors drive longer working hours.
Bhutan emerged as the world’s hardest-working country with 54.5 hours per week, followed by Sudan, Lesotho, and the Republic of Congo. The United Arab Emirates rounded out the global top five.
Several African nations featured prominently in the upper half of the ranking, including Liberia, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Benin, Zambia, and South Africa. This trend reflects the continent’s heavy reliance on manual labour, agriculture, small-scale trading, and informal sector jobs.
Nigeria’s 86th position places it in the mid-range globally but still above many industrialised nations where shorter working hours are supported by strong labour protections, higher productivity, and advanced technology.
Countries such as the UK and Japan recorded average working hours of 31 hours per week, while Canada stood at 32.3 hours.
In Nigeria, however, long hours are often spread across multiple jobs, self-employment, and informal economic activities. Millions of Nigerians work beyond official hours to cope with inflation, unemployment, and rising living costs, especially in urban centres like Lagos, Abuja, Aba, and Port Harcourt.
Analysts note that longer working hours do not always translate into higher productivity or better living standards. In many developing countries, extended work time is linked to low wages, limited labour rights, and economic survival rather than efficiency. Nigeria’s ranking reflects resilience and industriousness but also points to structural economic challenges that compel citizens to work harder for less.
At the lower end of the ranking are mostly European and developed countries. The United Kingdom and Japan ranked last with 31 hours per week, followed closely by Estonia, Spain, Australia, Belgium, and Ghana. These countries benefit from stronger labour regulations, paid leave, automation, and higher output per worker.
For Nigeria, the data serves as both a commendation and a warning. While the Nigerian workforce remains energetic and committed, experts argue that the focus should shift toward productivity, decent wages, job security, and improved working conditions. Reducing excessive labour hours through economic growth, industrialisation, and innovation remains key to improving quality of life.
As global conversations increasingly centre on work-life balance and productivity, Nigeria’s place on the list reinforces the urgency of reforms that ensure hard work truly pays.
LIST:
1. 🇧🇹 Bhutan – 54.5
2. ��🇩 Sudan – 50.8
3. 🇱🇸 Lesotho – 50.2
4. 🇨�� Republic of Congo – 48.7
5. 🇦🇪 UAE – 48.4
6. ���� Sao Tome & Principe – 48.2
7. 🇯🇴 Jordan – 47.8
8. 🇱🇷 Liberia – 47.5
9. 🇵🇰 Pakistan – 47.5
10. 🇶🇦 Qatar – 46.8
11. 🇱🇧 Lebanon – 46.4
12. 🇰🇭 Cambodia – 45.9
13. 🇲🇻 Maldives – 45.9
14. 🇧🇩 Bangladesh – 45.8
15. 🇮🇳 India – 45.8
16. 🇲🇳 Mongolia – 45.7
17. 🇲🇴 Macau – 45.7
18. ���� Egypt – 45.6
19. 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso – 45.3
20. 🇨🇻 Cape Verde – 45.3
21. 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe – 45.0
22. 🇸🇳 Senegal – 44.9
23. 🇧🇳 Brunei – 44.8
24. 🇨🇳 China – 44.8
25. 🇸�� Singapore – 44.6
26. 🇰🇼 Kuwait – 44.6
27. 🇲🇾 Malaysia – 44.6
28. 🇼🇸 Samoa – 44.5
29. 🇲🇪 Montenegro – 44.2
30. ��🇦 Morocco – 44.1
31. 🇹🇳 Tunisia – 44.0
32. 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea – 43.9
33. 🇹�� Turkey – 43.8
34. 🇴🇲 Oman – 43.6
35. 🇯🇲 Jamaica – 43.5
36. 🇧🇼 Botswana – 43.4
37. 🇵🇪 Peru – 43.2
38. 🇮🇷 Iran – 43.2
39. 🇲🇱 Mali – 43.1
40. 🇱🇾 Libya – 43.1
41. 🇭🇰 Hong Kong – 43.1
42. ��🇻 El Salvador – 43.0
43. 🇩🇿 Algeria – 42.9
44. 🇭🇳 Honduras – 42.8
45. 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone – 42.7
46. 🇬🇾 Guyana – 42.6
47. 🇧🇯 Benin – 42.5
48. ��🇭 Western Sahara – 42.4
49. 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau – 42.3
50. 🇿�� Zambia – 42.3
51. 🇿🇦 South Africa – 42.2
52. 🇲�� Mexico – 42.1
53. 🇨🇴 Colombia – 42.1
54. 🇳🇦 Namibia – 42.0
55. 🇨🇲 Cameroon – 41.9
56. 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan – 41.9
57. 🇬🇦 Gabon – 41.8
58. 🇨🇷 Costa Rica – 41.8
59. 🇹🇭 Thailand – 41.6
60. 🇻🇳 Vietnam – 41.5
61. 🇲🇲 Myanmar – 41.5
62. 🇭🇹 Haiti – 41.4
63. 🇦🇱 Albania – 41.4
64. 🇬🇹 Guatemala – 41.4
65. 🇱🇦 Laos – 41.3
66. ��🇿 Eswatini – 41.2
67. 🇹🇯 Tajikistan – 41.0
68. 🇧🇮 Burundi – 41.0
69. 🇹🇿 Tanzania – 40.9
70. 🇺🇬 Uganda – 40.9
71. ��🇦 Saudi Arabia – 40.9
72. 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina – 40.8
73. 🇨🇺 Cuba – 40.8
74. 🇰🇵 North Korea – 40.8
75. 🇵🇾 Paraguay – 40.7
76. 🇳🇵 Nepal – 40.7
77. ���� Angola – 40.7
78. 🇨🇮 Ivory Coast – 40.4
79. 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea – 40.4
80. 🇧🇿 Belize – 40.4
81. 🇺�� Uzbekistan – 40.4
82. 🇵🇭 Philippines – 40.3
83. ��🇨 Saint Vincent & the Grenadines – 39.8
84. 🇳🇪 Niger – 39.8
85. 🇸🇷 Suriname – 39.7
86. 🇳🇬 Nigeria – 39.6
87. 🇱🇨 Saint Lucia – 39.6
88. ��🇸 Palestine – 39.5
89. 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka – 39.5
90. 🇧🇭 Bahrain – 39.5
91. 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago – 39.4
92. 🇺�� Ukraine – 39.3
93. 🇰🇪 Kenya – 39.1
94. 🇬🇳 Guinea – 39.1
95. 🇹🇼 Taiwan – 39.1
96. 🇲🇷 Mauritania – 38.8
97. 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic – 38.7
98. 🇷🇴 Romania – 38.6
99. 🇪🇷 Eritrea – 38.4
100. 🇷🇸 Serbia – 38.4
101. 🇻🇪 Venezuela – 38.3
102. 🇲🇺 Mauritius – 38.3
103. 🇧🇬 Bulgaria – 38.2
104. 🇷�� Russia – 38.2
105. 🇸🇸 South Sudan – 38.2
106. 🇨🇫 Central African Republic – 38.1
107. 🇦🇲 Armenia – 38.0
108. 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico – 38.0
109. 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan – 38.0
110. 🇪🇨 Ecuador – 37.9
111. 🇧🇴 Bolivia – 37.8
112. 🇬🇷 Greece – 37.8
113. 🇬🇲 Gambia – 37.8
114. ��🇩 Indonesia – 37.7
115. 🇲🇰 North Macedonia – 37.5
116. 🇰🇲 Comoros – 37.4
117. 🇹🇬 Togo – 37.4
118. 🇧🇷 Brazil – 37.3
119. 🇬🇪 Georgia – 37.1
120. 🇲🇩 Moldova – 37.0
121. 🇬🇺 Guam – 36.9
122. 🇧🇸 Bahamas – 36.9
123. ��🇱 Chile – 36.9
124. ��🇷 South Korea – 36.8
125. 🇵�� Poland – 36.7
126. 🇵🇦 Panama – 36.2
127. 🇧🇧 Barbados – 36.1
128. 🇳🇮 Nicaragua – 36.1
129. 🇺🇸 U.S. – 36.1
130. 🇧🇾 Belarus – 36.1
131. 🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands – 35.9
132. 🇫🇯 Fiji – 35.7
133. 🇳�� New Caledonia – 35.6
134. 🇦🇫 Afghanistan – 35.6
135. 🇨🇩 DR Congo – 35.4
136. 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands – 35.3
137. 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan – 35.2
138. 🇭🇺 Hungary – 35.1
139. 🇮🇱 Israel – 35.0
140. ��🇫 French Polynesia – 35.0
141. 🇱🇻 Latvia – 35.0
142. 🇱🇹 Lithuania – 34.9
143. 🇨🇭 Switzerland – 34.9
144. ���� Uruguay – 34.7
145. ��🇷 Argentina – 34.7
146. ��🇬 Madagascar – 34.6
147. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan – 34.4
148. 🇭🇷 Croatia – 34.3
149. 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste – 34.2
150. 🇨🇾 Cyprus – 34.2
151. 🇮🇹 Italy – 33.9
152. 🇸🇰 Slovakia – 33.9
153. 🇳�� New Zealand – 33.7
154. 🇸🇮 Slovenia – 33.7
155. 🇲🇹 Malta – 32.9
156. 🇮🇸 Iceland – 32.7
157. 🇵🇹 Portugal – 32.5
158. 🇱🇺 Luxembourg – 32.4
159. 🇨🇦 Canada – 32.3
160. 🇬�� Ghana – 31.8
161. 🇧🇪 Belgium – 31.8
162. 🇦🇺 Australia – 31.8
163. 🇪🇸 Spain – 31.6
164. 🇸🇾 Syria – 31.2
165. 🇪🇪 Estonia – 31.1
166. 🇯🇵 Japan – 31.0
167. 🇬🇧 UK – 31.0